Door elevating arrangement



March 14, 1933. c. LUTE DOOR ELEVATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 1 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet C921. LUTE W W 1| IIII I PH HHHHPHH March 14, 1933. c. LUTE DOOR ELEVATING ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Shet Filed Jan. '7, 1951 Qiilillln Q v4 Q E E .3, w U W m L W a A Q TU J. 1 C c mL/ March 14, 1933. c. LUTE DOOR ELEVATING ARRANGEMENT 7, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan.

IIIIIIIIII/IIIIIlIIIIIII/llX'IIIIIIIIM 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIfIIIMII/I CHEL Luv-E W m Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL LUTE, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TO CAMEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

, ILLINOIS,. A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS noon ,ELEVATING ARRANGEMENT This invention relatesto improvements in car doors and is directed primarily to improvements in elevating arrangements for doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide elevating arrangements characterized by greater simplicity, ruggedness and fewness of parts and capable of ready assembly to doors and disassembly for repairs.

A further object is the provision of elevating arrangements for doors embodying constructions adapted to lift the doors and to draw the doors outwardly away from the car side for unimpeded movement relative thereto. w

Other objects of the invention, as well as advantages, will become clear from the following description and drawings forming part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a car provided with double doors to which is applied the elevating arrangement of this invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified lever construction.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of-Figure 1 and showing the door in lowered position in frictional engagement with the track.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 show ing the door in elevated position;

Figure 5 is a partial elevation on a larger scale of a portion of the elevating arrangement. I

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substan tially on line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 88 of Figure 2. j

Figure 9 is a vertical sectiontaken substantially on line 99 of Figure 2.

Figures 10 and 11 are sectional views similar to Figures 3 and, respectively, showing the lift arrangement of the invention applied to a slightly modified door construction.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 to 7 inclusive of the drawings, there is disclosed a portion of a side wall of a car 10 to which is applied a double door construction. These doors are indicated by the reference numerals 11 and 12, respectively. The lift arrangement illustrated in these figures of the drawings is shown'applied to each of the doors of a double door arrangement, but it is to be understood that its application may be effected as readily in a single door or box car door application. Each of the doors 11 and 12 is shown supported upon a track 13 secured to the car 10 by means of any suitable brackets 14. These brackets are preferably provided with projections 15 adapted for cooperation with corresponding indentations 16 formed on the doors so that when the doors approach their fully closed position they will be forced inwardly toward the car side.

Secured rigidly to each of the doors is a pair of brackets 17 provided with an outwardly extending housing portion 18. Each of these brackets, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, is open at its bottom and at opposite sides of said housing portions bearings 19 are provided. As is further evident from the showing of Figure 3 it is ap parent that when the door is in the position indicated in this figure, direct contact between said bracket members and the support ing track is obtained. Positioned in each of 0 these bracket members and preferably in the housin portions thereof, is a pair of rollers 20, which in the lowered position of the door as shown in Figure 3, are inclined relative to said door. The rollers are preferably maintained in the bracket housings by means of roller retainers 21 from the opposite sides of which extend journals 22' and 23. These journals, as clearly indicated in Figure 6 of the drawings, are positioned eccentrically relative to said retainers. The rollers are retained in the retainers by means of pins 24 extending through opposite sides of said retainer. It should be noted that while the re tainer embraces the roller it is open both at the top and bottom so that the roller extends above and below said retainer. Connecting adjacent journals of said retainers is a bar secured to said journals by means of rivets 26, said bar telescoping said journals. It is obvious that if desired the retainers and the connecting bar may be made as an integral casting. The connecting bar is preferably supported substantially at its center by means of a bracket 27. said bracket being provided with spaced bearing portions 28 and 29. These bearing portions, as clearly shown in Figure 7 of the drawings are also open at their bottoms and, further, when the door is in its lowered position these hearings are adapted to have frictional engagement with the track 13. Secured to the connecting bar 25 intermediate the bearings 28 and 29 of the bracket 2'? is an operating lever 30.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 2, 8 and 9 of the drawings, there is disclosed a modified construction of lever means for the operation of the arrangement described above. In this modified lever arrangement a center bracket 31 is utilized. This bra ckct is provided with a gear housing 32. The bottom of said} bracket in the showing of Figure 9 of the drawings rests upon the track for frictional en agement therewith. The housing is also provided with an opening in its bottom portion as clearly shown in this figure. Positioned within the housing and collared to the shaft 25 is a segmental gear 33. Extending through a slot 34: formed in the top of said housing is an operating lever pivotally secured to said housing by means of a pin 35 extending through the housing and a flange 36 formed therein. The lever is provided preferably integral th rewith. with a hub in the form of a segmental gear 37 positioned in meshing relationship with the segmental gear fixed to the bar 25. It is apparent that where the connecting bar 25 extends through the bracket 31 it is journaled in said bracket. The end brackets 17 have been extended so that they function as gusset plates for the lower corners of the door.

In Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings the arrangement of this invention is shown ap-' plied to a door which extends above the supporting track. In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the door is shown extending between the track and the car. Vith the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11, that'is, where the door extends above the track in its lowered position. it is a tiparent that some means must be provided to prevent undue outward movement of the door relative to the track. track 38 having an outward downwardly extending flange 39. This flange is provided with indentations 40 serving the same purpose as the projections 15 shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The bracket members 41 are provided with downwardly extending flanges 42 which are formed with upwardly ending lingers 43 adapted for engagement with the downwardly extending flange 39 of the track in order to limitoutward movecured to the door.

There is provided, consequently, a.

ment of the door. It will be observed that in this construction the bottom of the bracket tl is open and the bracket provides bearings for the ournals 22 and 23. It is also apparent that engagement between the indentation 40 on the flange 39 of the track 38 and the up- Figures 1 and 3 to 7 inclusive to insert the roller and roller retainers into the end brackets from the bottom'thereof and then to slip the bracket over the connecting bar and rivet said center bracket to the door. The end brackets have previously been se- In the construction shown in Figures 2, 8 and 9 of the drawings it is apparent that the center bracket may be positioned on the connecting bar and then said bar moved through the bottom of the end brackets 17 so that the rollers and rollerretainers will be properly housed and journaled in said end brackets. This follows from the fact that the lever is carried by the center bracket.

From the foregoing detailed description of the structure embodying the invention it is believed that the operation thereof in the elevation of the door when desired, will be apparent.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 to 7 inclusive, and assuming that the door is in its lowered position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, it is evident that the rollers 20will be inclined toward the door. the door toward open or closed position the operator will grasp the lever 30 and pull it outwardly away from thecar side. This outward pull on the lever will effect the consequent rotation of the connecting bar 25 about its own axis and as a result thereof the rollers 20 will assume a substantially vertical position. In View of the fact that the roller retainers have eccentric bearing in the brackets 17 which are secured to the door, the door will be raised and supported upon said rollers rather than frictionally upon the track. It is then a simple matter to move the door in either direction. It may be noted that the movement of the rollers from the inclined to the substantially vertical position may be limited by contact between the roller retainers and the bracket housings.

In the embodiment of theinvention shown in Figures 2, 8 and 9 it is apparent that a If it is desired to move downward pull upon the lever 30' will efiect rotation of the gear segment 37 which, in view of its relationship to the gear segment 33, will cause rotation thereof. Rotation of the gear segment 33, which is fixed to the bar 25, will effect rotation of said bar and a consequent lifting of the door, as explained above. It is clear with the operation of the modified structure recited as well as with the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 to 7 inclusive of the drawings, that the door will, during its elevating movement, be moved outwardly relative to the car so that during the sliding movement of the door relative to the track any obstructions on the car will be avoided.

t is obvious that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the embodiments of the invention set out may be made without departing from the spirit of said invention. It is intended, consequently, to include all such modifications and changes in the invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway car in combination, a doorway, a door for closing said doorway, a track, said door being frictionally supported on said track when in lowered position, and means for elevating said door, said means comprising a plurality of roller retainers transversely inclined relative to said door when the latter is in lowered position, said retainers being eccentrically connected to said door, rollers rotatably mounted in said retainers in engagement with said track, a rotatable member connecting said retainers and a lever for rotating said member.

2. In combination, a track, a door supported upon said track for frictional engagement therewith, a plurality of brackets secured to said door, bearings provided on said brackets, roller retainers within said brackets having offset journals seated in said bearings, inclined rollers mounted in said retainers in offset relation to said journals and in engagement with said track, said rollers being capable of transverse rocking movement relative to said door, and means for rocking said rollers.

3. In a house car, the combination with a doorway, a door adapted to close said doorway and a track, said door being adapted to have frictional engagement with said track when in lowered position, of elevating means for said door, said means comprising rollers engaging said track and transversely inclined in the lowered position of said door and members for imparting transverse movement to said rollers to position the same in a substantially vertical plane to elevate said door.

4. In a house car, the combination with a doorway, a door adapted to be positioned over said doorway and a track, said door having frictional engagement with said track when in lowered position, of means for elevating said door relative to said track, comprising a rotatable member, transversely in clined rolling elements carried by said member, said member embodying portions eccentric to said rolling elements and means for rotating said member.

5. In a house car, the combination with a doorway, a door adapted to be positioned over said doorway and a track, said door having frictional engagement with said track when in lowered position, of means for elevating said door relative to said track comprising a rotatable member, said member being provided with retainers and transversely inclined rolling elements positioned in and extending above and below said retainers, and means adapted to rotate said member to position said rolling elements in a substantially vertical plane.

6. The combination with a door and a track, said door in its lowered position being frictionally engaged with said track, of means for elevating said door relative tosaid track comprising roller retainers transversely inclined relative to said door when the latter is in its lowered position, rollers rotatably mounted in said retainers, brackets in which said retainers are housed, means eccentrically connecting said retainers to said door and means for moving said retainers to substantially vertical position to elevate said door for sliding movement relative to said track upon said rollers, the movement of said retainers being limited by engagement with said brackets.

7. In a house car in combination, a track, a door frictionally supported on said track in lowered position and means for elevating said door, said means comprising a plurality of transversely inclined rollers eccentrically connected to said door and means adapted to rock said rollers transversely to elevate said door,

8. An article of manufacture comprising a bar, roller retainers carried by said bar and roll rs rotatably mounted on said retainers, said bar being eccentrically and rigidly sccured to said retainers.

9. The combination, in a house car, with a door and track, said door in its lowered position frictionally engaging said track, of a plurality of rollers, each of said rollers being positioned so as to form a substantially triangular figure with said door and said track when the door in frictional engagement with the latter, said rollers being journaled to said door for relative transverse and vertical movement, and means for effecting movement of said rollers whereby said door is raised substantially vertically and moved outwardly relative to said car.

10. The combination, in a house car, with a door and a track, said door in its lowered position having frictional engagement with said track, of a plurality of rollers connected to said door and capable of transverse and vertical movement relative thereto to elevate said door, means connecting said rollers for simultaneous operation and means for imparting movement to said rollers.

11. In a house car, the combination with a doorway, a door adapted to close said doorway anda track, said door having frictional engagement with said track when in lowered position, of means embodying rollers inclined toward said door for elevating said door above said track for support upon said rollers, said elevation of the door being responsive to the movement of the rollers from inclined position to substantially vertical position.

Signed at Hammond, Indiana, this 31 day of December, 1930.

CARL LUTE. 

